Kim Yong-hyun Steps Up for Yoon's Security in Constitutional Court Testimony

At the 4th Impeachment Trial
"Choi Sangmok's Note Was Personally Written"
Testimony from Former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun
Echoing President Yoon's Claims
Kim Seen Defending President Yoon
Some Recall "Jang Sedong"

On the 23rd, a legal professional who saw former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun testify as a witness at the 4th impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-yeol said, "He still seems to think he is the Chief of the Presidential Security Service." This impression came after observing Kim supporting or defending President Yoon's statements for over four hours. There is even talk in the public that "Kim Yong-hyun is trying to become Yoon Seok-yeol's Jang Se-dong." Before the presidential election, President Yoon and former Minister Kim addressed each other as "hyungnim" (older brother) and "aunim" (younger brother). Kim is a senior by one year at Chung-Ang High School. After serving as the first Chief of the Presidential Security Service under the Yoon administration, Kim was appointed Minister of National Defense and within just a few months became a key figure in the 'martial law' situation. At the Constitutional Court hearing that day, when former Minister Kim stepped in to 'defend,' President Yoon nodded in agreement. Compared to his first appearance at the 3rd trial, his gestures and body movements were larger, and his voice tone rose.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is conducting direct witness examination of former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who appeared as a witness at the 4th impeachment trial hearing held at the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 23rd (left in the photo). Photo by Yonhap News

At the Constitutional Court hearing, former Minister Kim testified that he personally wrote the 'martial law legislative body note' that Choi Sang-mok, the acting president at the time (then Deputy Prime Minister for Economy), received during the martial law period, and that President Yoon instructed that only a small number of troops be deployed after the martial law declaration. This was exactly as claimed by President Yoon's side.

Regarding the note, Kim said, "I personally typed it and worked on it using a laptop. I could not hand it directly to Acting President Choi at the Cabinet meeting, so I delivered it through a staff member," adding, "I hurried to the Ministry of National Defense after the Cabinet meeting and gave it to someone whose face I recognized, but I don't remember who it was." However, the prosecution claims in the indictment that President Yoon prepared the document in advance and delivered it to Acting President Choi, and based on the mention of the 'martial law legislative body' in the document, they believe President Yoon intended to neutralize the National Assembly and separately establish a legislative body. This is considered evidence of an attempt to undermine the constitutional authority of the National Assembly, which constitutes the crime of rebellion.

Regarding the martial law proclamation order, Kim said, "President Yoon, after seeing the draft proclamation I handed over, said, 'The curfew part is outdated. Wouldn't it cause inconvenience to the people?' and deleted the curfew," adding, "The President usually reviews documents carefully, but this time he just skimmed through it." This is interpreted as a defensive move to shield President Yoon from negative repercussions related to the unconstitutionality of the 'ban on activities of the National Assembly and political parties' clause in the proclamation order. Regarding the 'deployment of troops,' when asked by President Yoon's legal team, "You proposed that up to 50,000 to 60,000 troops be mobilized to declare martial law, but President Yoon instructed to deploy only a small number as a warning, correct?" Kim answered, "Yes."

Regarding the remark to 'pull them out,' Kim said, "There was a chaotic situation with military personnel and National Assembly staff pushing and pulling each other," and "I thought an accident might happen if things went wrong, so I instructed to pull them out for now." He clarified that he ordered the withdrawal of personnel, not lawmakers. Around the Constitutional Court, some said this contradicts common sense.

Former Minister Kim actively responded to questions from President Yoon's legal team but stated he would not respond to questioning by the National Assembly's legal team, citing "an ongoing criminal trial." In response, Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae asked, "Did you refuse to respond to questioning by President Yoon's side?" Kim replied, "Martial law is an inherent presidential authority guaranteed by the Constitution, so I thought it was proper to testify and therefore waived my right to refuse."